I took this tour, by luck, on one of the most beautiful days in the summer. The trip started with a bus picking us up at our hotel in Anchorage. The drive to Whittier was about 1.5 hours. We stopped at a scenic area on Turnagain Arm and then again at a rest stop for a bathroom break. The driver (Eddie) told us all about everything we were seeing and was really excited about it. I had a great time on the bus and would have taken that as a tour! On the way back, the driver didn't talk much until we saw some beluga whales. It was a peacful drive, as we were all worn out from the excitement of the cruise.
This cruise was really about wildlife and the Surprise Glacier. The captian would tell us whenever he saw any animals and would slow the boat down for pictures. We saw sea lions, sea otters, harbor seals, jumping salmon (at a hatchery!) and Dall's porpoises.
We saw a ton of glaciers on our route, but only got really close to one. We spent about a half hour there and saw an AMAZING calving. I can't believe how lucky we were.
The food was ok, I'm from Maryland and I was pretty interesed in trying a west-coast crab cake. I like ours better, but it was great to try something different. They offered chicken and veggie meals as well. We brought a water bottle - but they had plenty of water and lemonade to drink. I'm sure you could pack extra snacks in your bag if needed.
Dress warmly. Even though the air temperature was in the high 50s, the boat moves quickly and that is a COLD wind while you try to take pictures! I wish I had my hat and gloves. Prepare for rain with all waterproof clothing, too. Have a big memory card with a fully charged battery. My camera battery died near the end of the cruise because I had taken so many pictures!!
